ALTAFF executive director discusses new ALA division

CHICAGO – This year, Friends of Libraries U.S.A. (FOLUSA) and the Association for Library Trustees and Advocates (ALTA) joined forces to become the Association of Library Trustees, Advocates, Friends and Foundations (ALTAFF), an expanded division of the American Library Association (ALA).

In an audio interview that can be heard by visiting the ALA’s Public Information Office (PIO) blog, Visibility @ your library,
www.pio.ala.org/visibility, Sally Gardner Reed, the executive director of the division, which is based in Philadelphia, talks about its potential.

“I’m really excited about ALTAFF coming together, joining Friends and Trustees, because I do believe that they, working together, will have a very strong voice for America’s libraries,” she said. “It’s the citizens who love and use libraries who really have the power to make a difference in their community and to ensure that funds are sufficient for excellent library services. So we hope that with this merge between Friends and Trustees, we will grow our power exponentially on behalf of America’s libraries.”

Visibility @ your library provides librarians and library supporters with news and information about important communications issues from ALA’s Public Information Office and the Campaign for America’s Libraries. It also contains links to the latest ALA News.